How Are You Doing?

August 21, 2020

Sometimes a simple, "How are you doing...really?" is all it takes to connect with someone. Especially during these dark times, with the added risk that comes with physical touch, there is an increased power in words. We've been forced to confront ourselves, and each other, in ways that are unprecedented yet primal. We're checking in with loved ones. We're discovering new things about ourselves and our surroundings. Most of all, we're finding new ways to communicate all these new feelings.

With this in mind, photographer Damien Fry sought out 13 New York based creatives for a raw and visceral portrait series, during which he asked their thoughts on all that's perspired within the past six months or so. What all have you learned? How can we move forward? Are we all on the same page?

Photos & Interview by Damien Fry

As we all long for the comfort of understanding and the validation of observation, Fry provides a platform for his subjects to deliver their thoughts and wishes in a time when such essential emotions are the bare minimum we are allowed.

Check it out below.

Bryndon Cook, Artist

When did the virus start affecting your life?

Top of March everything started to stop. Then each day had its own event(s). I am a pretty regular vinyl DJ, and those events were some of the first to go in NYC.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

Just had to stay inside a little more than I normally do. Checking in on family across the country. Trying to stay calm & patient. My album, Forever, was already slated for release June 2020, so that gave me piece of mind.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

On Twitter, the final frontier. The last stop for news.

What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward? How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?

We’re living in a pretty rare time. At moments, I don’t think generations before us quite fathomed the kind of hyper-saturated reality that we’re currently standing in. Where there has been so much progress (so to speak) yet incessant destruction from the lack of “radical progress” and the presence of “latent progress” which forms our present reality. It’s a historical chasm of dual consciousness I feel we are collectively unprepared for, despite the historical pushes of its chosen people.

I think as a human species carrying on in the digital world, we have a way of intellectualizing otherwise traumatic and tectonic shifts in our reality as a coping mechanism in order to process our own reality. Like bookmarking important webpages, but never returning to them in earnest. Therefore, when I look around at this year and some of the preceding moments of years past, if feels shocking to be a part of such a visceral moment of flux. Maybe part of our great undoing has been that we are built on generations that imagined a brighter future than this and we are fully stuck in the mires of our own inadequacies.

I believe to be black, is to know this. To be queer, is to know this. To be a black woman, is to live in constant reminder of all these things. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Toyin Salau, Layleen Xtravangaza, Ahmaud Arbery, and all that floated in this wave of visible death are reminders of how far we are from the change we need. We have been born and bred through a history of violence which beckons reckoning. The systems which have so long destroyed us, need be destroyed. Police, patriarchy, white supremacy, weaponized anti-blackness, trans- and homophobia are all agents of the state. I hope as we tear down these systems, we’ll continue to uplift and empower those who were otherwise constantly cornered and silenced by them. There are new voices to be heard.

Dylan Chavles, Hairstylist, 29

When did the virus start affecting your life?

March 13, 2020.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

Everything really. I’m so used to touching people and connecting to them that way, and the thing that made me feel the most in my skin was the thing that could potentially get me and others sick. It was hard relearning how to communicate without my hands.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

Through Twitter.

What was your response and how did you act?

The same way I’ve been responding for years. Make sure my immediate community is okay, and get out and see where I’m needed. I think a lot of people forget that the police were awful under Obama’s era too. Obama deployed the DHS on protestors. Obama heavily militarized the police. This isn’t a new thing and no president is going to save us from police violence.

What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?

I think more than ever, especially during a pandemic, we need more social programs. I don’t think people would be stupid enough to not wear a mask if we had accessible education here. If we had access to free education, maybe all people without access to the obscene amount of money it costs to go to school could go to college without worrying about loans. Maybe we’d all come together and understand that trickle down economics is a farce and having billionaires actually pay taxes would solve a lot of financial issues in the US. We wouldn’t be protesting eviction court if trillions of dollars were injected into rent and mortgage freezes instead of Wall Street. Maybe we’d all be able to work together as individuals to fight against a system that keeps us divided by not caring for those who need it most.

How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?

I don’t know how I’ll look back on it, 2020 feels like it’s been going on forever and it’s still here. I don’t think we know what the effects this time will have on us yet. I’m voting for Biden, who I absolutely hate. I don’t think he should be leading the country but I truly believe if you’re going to abstain for voting out of “resistance," then you should also have a gun and be ready to lead a resistance. Otherwise, just vote. It’s not a big deal to vote. You check off a bunch of boxes and submit a piece of paper. Getting tear gassed by the police is way harder than voting. If you truly believe administrations don’t matter, then you need to do some more research.

Leeky Da Bike God, Bike Rider

When did the virus start affecting your life?

As much as anyone can, I have been trying not to let the virus affect me. I’ve been focused on my family and my friends being as safe as possible, so if they’re good, I’m good. Plus I can still ride my bike, which is social distancing at its best haha. Truthfully, I try not to think of it.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

Funny enough, a little common sense goes a long way. I listen to what the experts say and apply it to my life the best I can. I’ve gotten more focused on my craft and just been working through the pandemic. The hustle continues and I’m not going let anything slow my process down.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

Like most of us, I found out through social media and the internet. It’s messed up that bad news is so easily shared across social media, but it keeps us informed and we need truthful information now more than ever. It’s just really sad how people of color are constantly being treated and abused.

What was your response and how did you act?

I was mad. I am mad. I’ve been mad. They weren’t the first or the last to suffer at the hands of the police, but we as a country are getting more and more tired of it. That’s why the reaction was so strong across the country. I even went so far as to create a shirt that speaks out against police brutality.

What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?

I wanna see every one treated equally, no matter their race. But honestly, I am doubtful that it will ever happen, at least not in my lifetime. But I’ll keep fighting for it.

How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?

I’ll look back on 2020 like “that was one crazy year” lol. I mean since they are letting anyone lead the country the days, Bike God for president.

Moonbear, Skater

When did the virus start affecting your life?

The virus started affecting my life mid March.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

My work, personal and social life had to come to a halt and the way I mentally and emotionally went through this was by re-watching Gossip Girl for a month then slowly adding productive and routine activities to my schedule again.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

I first heard about these lives being taken through the internet.

What was your response and how did you act?

I wasn't surprised by the murders. The way black people have been getting treated horribly has been going on for the entire history of America. I felt more overwhelmed because I was already having to adjust to a new way of living, being and doing because of the virus. Another wave of anxiety washed over me.

What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?

I want to see people continuing to accept the truth and doing better. I want to see the voting system for presidential elections change because as long as the electoral votes are the ones that decide who the next president is, the majority of people aren't getting the president they asked for. I also want to see more accountability checks at the top. When you have too much power and not enough people checking you, things can go horribly wrong as they have been in America.

How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?

2020 was a horrible year in terms of all the wrongdoings, lack of empathy and stupidity demonstrated by people in political power positions. But it is a moment of awakening for the country and the world. Everyone should be leading with their actions to make the world better in 2021 and for future generations to come.

Marc Esannason, Entrepreneur, 53

When did the virus start affecting your life?

March 16th is when the situation became real. I began helping my daughter with her online classes for school. This was the first day of New York City on pause.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

Throughout this ordeal is has allowed me to segment some of my energies and focus to both my family and my community. Being a business owner, with varying levels of success over the years, I felt a new level of obligation to help build up the next generation, which is why I embarked on a new venture called Freestyle by Making. A Brand. It’s a very personal project that focuses on mentoring college students that wish to learn about business in an entrepreneurial way. My social life was transformed into the new way of seeing your friends and family through video conferencing apps. My family surprised me with a video conference for my birthday.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

Watching CNN. It seemed like a racial tragedy happened once a week during the lockdown.

What was your response and how did you act?

I was angered to see these repetitive injustices happen throughout the country. I didn’t go protest because our people have been protesting for years and nothing has come from it. These tragic stories are proof that nothing has changed.

What changes do you want to see happen in this country going forward?

Along with taking down monuments that symbolize racism we need to re-write the Constitution of the United States since it was written by a majority of slave owners. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court is in the real estate business, issuing land to our Native American brothers, they should consider giving land to us African American’s, that we solely control and govern along with an overall discounted tax structure for those who live in the territory.

How will you look back on 2020 and who should be leading the country in 2021?

2020 is such a pivotal year. This could be a year for tremendous opportunity for African Americans if the mind set changes. We have great power financially over this country. We have to stop financially supporting companies and brands that don’t support us. Spend your money with those who are going to help uplift your community instead of tearing it down. The next leader for our country in 2021 should have the ability to comprehend and enact the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Making sure “justice for all” is well suited in the Department of Justice.

Alvina Bokhari, Jewelry Designer

When did the virus start affecting your life?

I noticed a change in pace with everything. Parties, restaurants, work and social gathering were slow. I also was abroad while traveling was becoming more strict. I remember just landing in pakistan, getting my temperature taken and then becoming extremely paranoid that I might have contacted something along the whole process. Soon work trips/meetings were being pushed or canceled and eventually we were all quarantined.

What changes did you have to make to your work, personal and social life?

Naturally I’m a homebody, but I’m most productive when I’m out and about. Once quarantine started, it was hard to find a routine that worked for me. Like many people, I felt stuck not being able to live in other environments. But by counting my blessings it led me to a better head space.I was in a safe comfortable home with people who love me. We were all grieving and I just wanted to take my time and focus on myself. Soon I became more productive and started to communicate with friends (virtually) more. Zoom parties started to feel less awkward as well.

How did you first hear about the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor?

Social media provided more valid info than any article I read online. For the first time, I was really proud of how social media was used as a vital tool to inform people. It provided the truthful, unskewed version of the news.

What was your response and how did you act?

When I first read the stories of Breonna Taylor, George Flloyd, Tony Mcdade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Elijah Mccain, I felt mad. To be honest, I don't know how else to explain it. I felt mad knowing this has been happening on a much larger scale. Mad that even with blatant video proof people will choose to turn a blind eye and choose gaslight victims instead of fighting for what's right.

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

Culture

Real Slick, Jack: Psyche Organic Arrives in New York

Shop Psyche Organic at Happier Grocery and Dimes. Coming soon to @citarellagourmetmarket @unionmarket @gourmetgarage @deciccos @fairwaymarket plus many more.

Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.